.296/.401/.484
In 2009, this is what Ryan Westmoreland was to most people. A stat line. Raised in Portsmouth Rhode Island, he was drafted in the fifth round of the 2008 amateur draft by the team he rooted for as a child, the Boston Red Sox. He made a splash in his first year in Boston’s minor league system, jacking seven home runs and stealing nineteen bases in only 223 at bats. On March 13th of 2010, Westmoreland was a lot of things: a sure thing, the future of the outfield in Fenway Park, a phenom after only one year. It’s funny how two words can change a life.
“Cavernous malformation”
Before March 13th of 2010, this phrase was nothing more than medical jargon to most Red Sox fans. It’s frightening to think of how familiar they quickly became. The Mayo Clinic defines it as “abnormally formed blood vessels in the brain or spinal cord” and goes on to say “The leakage of blood from these malformations may cause significant blood loss.” It started with numbness in the thumb. When he was unable to feel the seams of a baseball, Westmoreland complained to team doctors and was removed from Red Sox camp on March 4th. Ryan He was soon diagnosed with such a malformation, and suddenly it was not only his future as a baseball player that was in jeopardy, but his future in general.
“We are thrilled for Ryan and his family that the surgery went so well. While we recognize that the recovery process is long and complicated, we are excited that all of the early indications are positive.” ~ Theo Epstein, March 20th, 2010
The surgery took over five hours. It was a success. Despite this, Westmoreland faced a tough road to recovery. Having to relearn the simplest tasks, such as tying his shoes, became large hurdles on the path back to a normal existence. At the time, baseball seemed like the least important thing in the world. But that was always the goal. Even if no one will admit it, the goal was for Westmoreland to return to the organization and flourish into the player he was supposed to be, into the player he deserved to be. Like most dreams, the final destination sounds nice in theory, it’s the way to get there that often brings reality back into the picture.
“MLB Comparison: Grady Sizemore” ~soxprospects.com
So where did Westmoreland project in the Red Sox’s future? Well, after only one year in single A, he was already rated by Baseball America as Boston’s top prospect. Not to mention, he was only nineteen years old. A combination of both speed and power is rare at such an age, and because of that, Westmoreland was turning heads across the country. Even though Boston’s farm is flush with outfield depth, it’s not unreasonable to think that if Westmoreland had continued to put up numbers resembling those from his first year over the past two seasons, that his name would be talked about for the currently vacant spot in right field for next season. Sure, it would have been earlier than anyone had projected him to reach the major league level, but for talent of his level, nothing seems too unreasonable.
“Ryan Westmoreland Sees Live Pitching” ~ESPN Boston, December 8th, 2011
On the eve of March 13th, 2010, or even just a few months ago, it seemed hard to believe that this headline would ever run. It’s really a lesson in perspective. To most prospects, live pitching is a chore, a formality they have to go through almost everyday, kind of like getting dressed, or tying their shoes. For Ryan Westmoreland, facing live pitching just a few days ago was probably one of the happiest moments of his young life. It was a step, and a monumental one at that. While he still has a long way to go before he’s back to the prospect he once was, he’s well on his way. First it was getting dressed, then it was tying his shoes, now it’s live batting practice. One can only hope that circling the bases at Fenway park is the final step in the journey.
.296/.401/.484
If you googled Ryan Westmoreland before March 13th of 2010, that would probably be the first thing you found. His numbers. Sometimes in the day to day business of the game, it’s easy to forget that these players are not only collections of numbers and records, but people too. Every promotion means something. Every demotion means something. Every minor league option means something. At the end of the day, what we root for is the triumph of our kind, a celebration of the beautiful things that we can do. And when facing live pitching becomes something to cheer for, it is a beautiful thing indeed.
God speed Ryan Westmoreland. If anything, know that there is at least one person watching your progression through the minor leagues. He’ll be cheering even if you’re stat line at the end of the season reads .000/.000/.000. The fact that you’ll have one at all is enough.